The Diary of Elliot Parker

It still starts the same. I come to my special room in this dream world place, the floor changes and rumbles under my feet, it comes away and reveals the bookshelves and cabinets. The walls change colour and look older. The shelves and cabinets are all covered in books. My notebook is still there. There’s been no new messages from the mysterious Adrian Kraig. I’m Curious about him. I want to know more. Twirling a pen in my fingers I think about it a little too much, writing another note, just a small one. “So, is it even possible that I could meet you?” I put the notebook back where it goes.

Now? Well, now I get to choose the next part of the dream. My fingers run the spines of books nearby until I find the one. I stumbled on it the first time, now it’s become a more deliberate choice. It’s become a firm favourite to enter this world. I like the exciting awareness it creates, it just feels more real, more real than I could have anticipated.

It’s the story of the stowaway girl. I feel that familiar pull, and I am there.

The rain is pouring hard and fast as we try to find some kind of cover, somewhere dry. The Captain is moving quicker as we head further into the trees. The trees are thicker and older, the air is thick and balmy with the rain but it won’t stay this way, we hope.

The crew are grumpy, the rain is pouring and the Captain is asking more from them. In search of shelter and camp. Between the forest and the trees there is a lack of direction. Taking a chance, I break from the Captain’s side. I climb up the tall tree up ahead. Its slippery and wet and rough under my fingers. The rain pounding over my skin, the drips hit a little sharper the further up I climb. Reaching half way to the top I can see further than I had hoped. This was high enough and hard enough for now. There ahead of them and a little to the left there seemed to be an overhang of a cave. More than just the one, the coming land ahead was riddled with hills, crevices, caves and cliff faces.

Climbing down the tree was easier in theory. Now my body ached from clinging to the slippery tree in the rain.

I can see the crew below, waiting. The bark feels wetter, I feel wetter and colder and my muscles are starting to cramp. It only makes me cling to the tree harder. I am sure the Captain will be annoyed I ran off. But I have good news. That should be a consolation. There’s maybe 10 feet between myself and the ground.

The crack of lightening turning the canopy a glowing green for a moment before the rain starts lashing down heavier. It caught me a little by surprise, my foot missed the branch I was aiming for, the change in weight, the slip up puts strain on my arms as I cling as best I can, my hands slipping. The Captain is calling up to me but I can’t hear him. I take a moment and deep breath to calm myself. I push my feet against the trunk of the tree as best I can and let my hands release the tree and push off from the tree in one motion. I feel myself turn in the air. Hands spin themselves in a net below me.

It’s the Captain who pulls me upright. “You’re shaking like a puppy. You had better have some good news for us.”

All of our clothes are wet, mine seem to be drenched, clinging to my skin. My muscles are shaking from bearing my weight. The rain is pouring harder and I can’t help but feel the pinch of the Captain’s fingers wrapped tightly around my upper arm. His grip is like steel. “What the hell did you think you were doing; you could have been killed?”

“I did it before at your command, or have you forgotten?”

“Don’t you dare, that was different.”

“How?”

“You were nothing but the stowaway.”

“I still am.”

“No, you are the princess”

“That doesn’t change anything”

“It does, your too valuable to get killed climbing a tree.”

“That is exactly it isn’t it. I am valuable. Nothing but a fee or prize.”

“If that was the case you would be in chains.”

“Perhaps I already am.” I glare at his hand holding tight on my arm. I can imagine the bruise that will come from him releasing his grip.

“Do you really want to test me right now?” His voice echoes a little in the mouth of the cave, the crew are now paying attention to us. The Captain orders the fire to be lit further inside. The men have explored it, it’s a shallow cave but just enough room for a small fire. Their search for fire wood took a while. Slowly the men began returning and a small fire was lit.

The Captain glared at me. The small bale of blankets that had been protected from the rain, the blankets were unwrapped. The Captain stood with his and a spare on his arm. He pulled his shirt up over his head, I redirected my eyes and looked away. He pulled a blanket over his shoulders. A man in the crew laughed, “Cap, you made the stowaway blush”

I glare. Still shivering. “That’s ok, she’s about to make you blush.” The Captain pulls me over towards him. “Take your clothes off” I stare and shake my head no. “Take your clothes off you will catch a death.” My eyes dart in the direction of the crew, I shake my head again.